The European Union: A Lack of Visceral Attachment and Its Implications

In ancient Greece, poetry was regulated to prevent excessive passions from disrupting the social order. While rhyming couplets no longer sway politics, the tradition of using art to engage with civic life persists. On April 29th, in Aachen, Germany, a small crowd gathered for a Poetry Slam focused on the European Union (EU). The event featured amateur poets, including a local “TikTok political influencer,” who ensured the social order remained intact. Following the poetry, the audience watched a debate streamed from Maastricht, where eight politicians from various EU countries discussed issues ahead of the European elections scheduled for June 6th-9th.

This event reflects a phenomenon rooted in Greek history: the emergence of a European demos, or common political culture. Historically, civic life in Europe has been centered around municipalities, provinces, or nation-states. However, power is increasingly centralized in EU institutions in Brussels. The success of this centralization depends on whether citizens across the EU feel a visceral connection to a unified European polity, which could lead to a unified European democracy.

Euro-federalists have long desired a pan-continental social contract, dating back to the EU’s origins as a coal-and-steel community. French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for more vigor in creating a European demos. Some early signs of this are visible, as 446 million Europeans have faced common crises such as Russian aggression, an isolationist America, Big Tech, and climate change. Responses to these crises are largely crafted in Brussels, which creates most of the laws affecting EU citizens. The argument is that even if people do not realize they should care about the EU, they eventually will.

Despite these efforts, the European demos remains elusive, especially evident during the run-up to the bloc’s elections. European elections have lower turnouts compared to national ones and are often seen as 27 concurrent national affairs rather than a unified event. The debate in Maastricht highlighted this issue, as the candidates for the European Commission presidency were largely unknown outside the Brussels bubble.

Ivan Krastev, a Bulgarian intellectual, argues that Europeans are more aware of each other due to shared crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and rising energy costs. These shared experiences could foster an “imagined community,” a concept introduced by political theorist Benedict Anderson, which underpins national polities.

However, the current trend in the EU is towards deeper integration guided by national governments, rather than a powerful, union-wide tier of direct democracy. Recent polls suggest that citizens in all 27 member states view the EU positively and want their countries to remain members. Federalists should be cautious of pushing for too much integration, as common political themes like migration, Ukraine, and environmental protection often lead to dissatisfaction with the EU. A unified European civic culture might prefer adapting the union’s institutions to its people, rather than the other way around.

Summary in Bullet Points:

• Ancient Greek poetry was regulated to prevent social disruption; modern events like Poetry Slams continue this tradition.
• A Poetry Slam in Aachen, Germany, focused on the EU, followed by a political debate streamed from Maastricht.
• The event reflects the emergence of a European demos, or common political culture, rooted in Greek history.
• Historically, European civic life centered around municipalities, provinces, or nation-states; now, power is centralized in Brussels.
• Euro-federalists have long desired a pan-continental social contract; French President Macron recently called for more vigor in creating a European demos.
• Shared crises like Russian aggression, an isolationist America, Big Tech, and climate change are fostering a sense of unity.
• European elections have lower turnouts and are seen as national affairs rather than a unified event.
• The debate in Maastricht highlighted the lack of recognition for EU Commission presidency candidates outside Brussels.
• Shared crises could foster an “imagined community,” a concept by political theorist Benedict Anderson.
• The current trend is towards deeper EU integration guided by national governments, not a powerful, union-wide direct democracy.
• Recent polls show citizens in all 27 member states view the EU positively and want to remain members.
• Federalists should be cautious of pushing for too much integration, as common political themes often lead to dissatisfaction with the EU.